She had found something that would mean she'd never be poor again - but there was a catch. She had to marry her childhood enemy. In three weeks.
Hermione looked down at the contract that she held in her hands and took a deep breath. She was standing on the front steps of the Malfoy Manor. The huge black mansion was something she had always imagined living in, but standing on those steps gave her a huge sense of dread. Slowly, Hermione dragged her feet to the door and raised her hand to the knocker. Before she could even lift it off the mahogany wood, it swung open. A hand reached out to hers and pulled her inside. "What are you doing here?" Not able to see due to the bright sun, and the dimly lit interior of the foyer, she could only guess that the rough voice belonged to the one she came to see.
"I came to talk to you, Draco."
"Granger, what could you possibly have to say to me?! Have you come to ask for my hand in marriage?" he sneered, the same sneer he had used to put her down all those years at Hogwarts.
"Actually, yes I have. Hear me out."
"Actually, no. You know you're not welcome here, Mudblood."
"Then why did you pull me into your home? You could have easily pretended you weren't home."
"If I hadn't passed the window when I did, my father would have been the one to reet you, and it wouldn't have been pleasant."
"Well fate would have it that it was you."
"What do you mean fate?" he asked, thrown off balance.
"A deed came into my possession. It says that whoever come into the custody of it must break an old wizard tradition, and the reward from doing so would lead to a reward so great, no man can fathom it."
"And why would you come to me with this, Granger?"
"Well, you're the most pure pureblood I know, and," She coughed, "I think you can help me with this."
"Granger, the brightest wizard of her time needs help! What's in it for me if I help?"
"We could split the reward."
"Do you think I need any more wealth then I already-" Sounds of scuffling feet came from upstairs, and then the creaking of stairs. "That would be my father, Granger, and if you would like to save yourself, I would leave now, before he comes down the stairs and blasts you to bits.
Hermione whipped herself around and flung open the door, waltzed out of the Manor, and slammed the door behind her. Caught up in the moment, she turned around to yell a word of profanity to Draco, but someone beat her to it. Behind the door of the beautiful, rich mansion, came the voices of an angry father, and the meek response of a battered child. Hermione knew that she was not the only one that needed help. There was a life behind that door, broken by traditions and expectations, and abused by his own family. And Hermione was determined to fix him.
Draco couldn't get over it. It haunted him for the rest of the day, and throughout the night. He couldn't sleep; not that he could any other night. The things he'd done, and the things he'd said kept him awake. If he could go back in time and change what he had done, and who he had become, at least he could have done something other than what his father had directed him to do. Draco walked upstairs to his room to find his owl, Regal, sitting on his black wrought iron stand with a piece of parchment wrapped around his leg. Draco sighed and went to the bird. If it was another note from Pansy saying she still wanted him, he was going to hurt himself. He unrolled the paper and swiftly read the ink script.
"Draco,
You may not care about me or the reward, but I know that you are searching for a way to fix the mistakes you have made in the past. Don't do this for me, do it for yourself. If you decide you want to make a new life for yourself, meet me at the café on Main Street at four o'clock tomorrow evening.
Hermione Granger
Draco sat down on the edge of his bed and thought long and hard about the redhead's proposition. If he said yes, he'd change his life completely, maybe even history. He would also change the way his family saw him. They would probably disown him, but what did that matter. They already hated him. If he said no, nothing would change, only one heart would be broken. Or would there be two? Draco had to give it to Hermione, for coming up with the guts to come to him directly, with the knowledge the Malfoy hated Muggle Born, and especially the girl who had topped Draco in all their classes. His decision had been made. He hoped it was the right one.
Hermione patiently waited for the platinum blond haired boy to walk through the door of her favourite café. She had been waiting for forty five minutes and was getting ready to leave the slowly empting café when he breezed through the door. He glanced around the room, and spotted her sitting at a two person table. Hermione returned her purse to the back of her chair and placed her clasped hands on the table. Draco, with a polished look to his walk, sauntered over to her and sat down in the chair next to her. "Why are you late?"
"Why are you still waiting?"
"I knew you would come." She replied.
"I wanted to see if you were serious about this." He responded back.